Beast Quest - The Original Quest

We read a couple chapters of the Beast Quest Series by Adam Blade each night and it always leaves my son wanting more. The characters, adventures, and beasts have truly captivated his imagination and he often incorporates Beast Quest stories into his imaginative play.

These stories have all the standard fairy tale adventure story elements -- an evil wizard, a beleaguered kingdom in need of a champion, and a young hero plus magic, friendship, and bravery.

Harry Potter whetted my son's appetite for magical, adventurous tales but in many ways this series was more appropriate for a 7-year-old.

The stories are engaging with characters who are good role models for young children. The magic and adventure are appealing but there is not the same element of darkness that you find in Harry Potter. There is destruction and violence but it is balanced by more hopefulness and goodness than in the Potter books.

One aspect that my son likes very much is that in order to "win" the hero does not need to kill the beasts. He only must unlock a magical collar that makes the beast "bad". Once the beast is freed then it becomes a guardian for the kingdom.

Even now that he is 10 Noah still enjoys the Beast Quest adventures. We think these are great books for boys. In fact, because the hero's best friend and fellow adventurer is a girl we think these are good books for kids of both genders. If you have a young reader who loves animals and adventure then we recommend the Beast Quest books for children.